Braking problem
 

I've got a stock 2001 4dr Civic. Under hard braking, dry or wet, my right front wheel tends to lock before my left front, causing my car to twist to the left. Originally thoguht this was the tires, but it's still doing it now that I've got new ones. Anyone else experiencing this? I took it to Honda service while it was underwarranty last year and they couldn't find anything.

Tire pressures are 32psi for both front tires and 30psi for the rears, using Michelin Hydroedge rubber, stock steelies, no ABS with my model.

Any suggestions? is it possible to adjust the brake distribution between the left and right?

TIA

Start by bleeding the brake system. The channels run diagonally across the car, so the line that feeds the left front also feeds the right rear and the other line does the other 2 corners. If you have a bubble in the line that feeds the left front, the right one will lock but the left one won't because of the air bubble in the line. Get all four corners bled (or do it yourself) and see if the problem goes away. Also check the front pads and see if they're wearing evenly.
Are these still the factory installed pads or have they ever been changed?
How many miles?
Ever changed the fluid?
Anything else we need to know about the braking system?

thansk for the quick reply
I've never bled the brakes myself before, but I've taken it in for service regularly so I'd think they'd do it there...? The rotors have been replaced once already at about 50000km or about 32000 miles, and the pads I think twice or three times, last time was probabaly about 6-8months ago. They are genuine Honda pads, not aftermarket. I don't know if the fluid has been changed or not, but I haven't missed a recommended service interval yet so if it's on the recommended, it's been done. Only thing I skip is oil changes cuz I do that myself.
it has about 98000km on it now (61250miles)

Is your car an automatic or stick? My car does this also and i believe that it is because of the automatic tranny adn the open differential. My tires dont really let go but it pulls to one side.

Julian

What difference does the differential make? If you're on the brakes, there's no power transfer to the wheels, its from the wheels back through the drivetrain. That has nothing to do with it.

it's the 5spd
actually I thought it might have something to do with the differential too. Tried to see if it made a difference if I was braking with the clutch up or down, seems to be less severe with the clutch up. That might be only cuz the engine is still spinning and causing the wheel to keep turning a little tho.....?

With the automatic and an open differential one wheel will still be spinning teh whole entire drivetrain causing that wheel to carry the overall gear ratio of the transmission and the differential this wheel will have an advantage when stopping causing the car to move more towards one side. This is the difference thedifferential and the transmission makes.

Julian

You want to argue that? Fine. You're still wrong. The car is primarily right wheel drive, and more of the power goes through it. Take whatever proportion of torque distribution you want, thats what the brakes have to counteract. If the brakes are grabbing equally, like they should be, then he'd be locking the left front, not the right.
Its in the brakes, it has nothing to do with the differential.

I'll lock both fronts for about 2 feet before the ABS finally realizes they're locked. It should be even.

Is it possible that the normal torque difference between the left and the right is causing the right tire to wear faster and making it slip first then?

You wouldn't see much of a noticeable wear difference. You're only going to even notice the difference in loads under hard acceleration where you can feel the torque steer. Its nothing to cause alarm.
Check your tire pressures. If they're different, it'll alter the way the car reacts.
Tires only really "wear" when they're slipping on the road. When you're just driving along, they really aren't wearing much at all. If you're locking the wheels under normal breaking, you've got an issue in the braking system.

Boilermaker i am not argueing with you, im mearly explaining what i was saying the problem could be according to my own experiences. He says he has a 5 speed so this is obviously not the case. Chill out kid.